Breadness Buzz - A Special Father, Breaducation (pt. 2), Awesome Gift Ideas...

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NOTE: If this is your first Breadness Buzz, or if you've been part of our tribe but missed last week's post, do visit the Breadness Buzz Archive here and read the June 9th issue titled: "Sourdough Moon, Breaducation, Father’s Day Surprise…" The reasons for this are: 1. Breaducation (pt. 1) is the first half of today's conclusion and 2. my favorite Father's Day song, "Father and Friend" by Dutch singer/songwriter Alain Clark is also featured (under the heading: "Father's Day Surprise..."). If you've never heard this song/seen this video before, you're in for a real treat! If you've read last week's Breaducation and heard the father and son song, then welcome to this week's episode...

You probably recognize the guy on the left; that's Walt Disney. The guy on the right? That might be a bit harder. I'll give you a hint: it has something to do with this weekend: the guy on the right; his name is "Father." One of my favorite attractions from the time it opened at Disneyland in 1967 was Carousel of Progress. It was a unique experience that featured a static multi-segment center stage and a multi-segment audience seating area that rotated every few minutes as each synchronized presentation completed its brief look at the particular era being depicted, starting with the 1920s and ending with "the future" as imagineered at the time. "Father" and "Mother" (and the family dog) were constants in the multi-act play that glowingly and humorously depicted all of the "modern conveniences" of the times. It was entertaining and informative, and me and my friends would always partake of the "ride" whenever we visited Disneyland.

But to me, one of the coolest things about Carousel of Progress was at the end when guests filed out past a glassed-in scale model of Walt's Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow and Progress City (shown above). This was Walt's vision of EPCOT which, had he lived to see it through, would have been built in Florida as he envisioned it. Disappointingly, that never happened. But in the present and foreseeable future, we can always celebrate Walt as a special father this weekend, because Walt was the father of Disneyland, and his legacy of creative ventures that preceded it.

There are many specialized words used in our bakery. Here's the concluding part to get you up to speed with the lingo...

Dough Work (noun) - Referring to process of making the sourdough dough on day two of our 3-day process. It includes measuring ingredients (by weight), mixing them together in stages, dividing the finished mix into large tubs, warm proofing, stretching, dividing (again), shaping, resting, final stretch and fold, and cold proofing (these words are defined below).

Dividing (verb) - 1. The action of grabbing fresh-mixed dough from the mixer bowl and cutting it into a large tub while watching the weight on a scale. Above, Rhys is cutting globs of our GingerBreadness dough (only made during December) until the target weight for 12 loaves is reached; then he'll fill the next tub in the same way. 2. The action of dividing a proofed tub of dough using our Manotrad Dough Divider with a 12-section blade (below, right), then pulling each section from the tray and placing it on the dough bench.

Proofing (noun) - Bread-maker's term for letting bread dough rise and develop over time. In our sourdough process we have both warm proofing and cold proofing phases before the dough is ready to be baked.

Proofing Cabinet (noun) - A tall, heated cabinet that keeps the dough tubs at a temperature of about 88 degrees during the warm-rise part of the dough process. In the above photo, Alex is putting a dough tub in one of six slots available. The maximum number of loaves we can make using this cabinet is 72 (6 tubs x 12 loaves each tub).

Dough Bench (noun) - (above) The long butcher-block top work table used for stretching/folding, shaping, resting and final stretch/fold of the dough.

Bench Knife (noun) - (above) A flat blade with a rubber handle used for shaping the dough and scraping the bench when the work is done.

Proofing Basket (noun) - Also called a banneton, this special basket is made of strands of cane and has a suspended liner that cradles the dough just above the basket's bottom. Once the folded/stretched dough is placed in the proofing baskets, they are placed in the refrigerator and covered with a cloth for the overnight cold-rise.

Gluten-Neutral (adjective) - Describing the result of how the process of making our sourdough dough over 3 days, breaks down and changes the gluten to a more bio-friendly form. Over 99% of our gluten-sensitive customers have reported that they had no negative reactions from eating our sourdough bread, hence one of our slogans: "Making it safe to eat bread again!"

Parchment (noun) - Special paper coated with silicone for use in baking. Our dough loaves are placed on oven peels with parchment on top, scored with a "lame" (French for blade) and then two sheets of parchment, each with 6 loaves on them, are placed in the oven. Parchment keeps the bread dough from touching the stone decks. Parchment can be used 4-5 times before it is retired. The parchment we use is unbleached and non-toxic.

Oven Peel (noun) - A large, flat, tapered wooden board with a short handle on one end, used for holding loaves of dough to place them in the oven and remove them when the baking is done.

Steam-Injected Deck Oven (noun) - A purpose-built, short, wide and deep oven designed for baking artisan sourdough bread. When the loaves are first placed into the hot oven on top of the stone deck, the door is closed and a button is pressed which injects steam into the cavity for 5 seconds. The steam keeps the bread from browning during the first half of the bake. This allows the bread to "spring" up and reach maximum height before browning. Once the steam phase is done, the steam is vented and the bread bakes for a second shift of time to form and brown the crust. Our deck oven has 2 chambers stacked one on top of the other. Larger deck ovens can have up to 4 chambers stacked and can be wider and/or deeper.

Curing (noun) - The process we use to improve the flavor, texture and longevity of our sourdough breads. When our bread comes out of the oven, the crust is hard enough and the corners of the ears are sharp enough to inflict damage. And the inside is a hot, gooey mess. We allow the loaves to cool for 4 hours, then we place each one in its own BPA-free Curing Bag for 20 hours. After that, the bread is ready to slice or tear apart and eat! Breadness lasts up to 6 days when kept in its curing bag and sealed, after slicing.

Wow. There's a lot to know about making artisan sourdough bread! Next time you come to the bakery, ask for a tour, which will increase your understanding of how all of the above come together to make a truly amazing sourdough: Breadness!

Here's an idea... Best of the Best! Ojai Olive Oil Company Organic Signature Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Ritrovo Selections Organic Balsamic Aceti Reduction, Eco-friendly Breadness Tote, Breadness Artisan Sourdough Country Loaf, Paddlewood Designs Solid Teak End-Grain Cutting Board.

Random Acts of Breadness is located at 2214 West Magnolia Blvd. in Burbank (2-1/2 blocks east of Buena Vista on the south side of the street). Come to the bakery and sample our artisan wares, or order on line for bakery pickup, or have Breadness delivered or shipped to your door. You may also order by phone at 818-562-7303 and pay when you come pick it up. We're open Friday & Saturday 12 to 6 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Note: If you (or someone you wish to gift) live within 120 miles of Los Angeles, we can ship on Thursday (via UPS Ground) and in most cases your Breadness Box will arrive on Friday (Saturday at the latest). Place your order before Thursday at noon here.

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